Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Bobwhite’

ABSTRACT

A  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Bobwhite’ characterized by its large sized blooms with white ray florets and good branching; natural season flower date September 20-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Bobwhite’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flower date around September 20-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Bobwhite’ is a seedling resulting from a crossing program, which was set up by a previous breeder, and which records are unknown to the inventor. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout The Netherlands in 2001. The first act of asexual production of ‘Bobwhite’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2001 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands, and propagated further at this location. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of Chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length and temperature and planted week 24 in 2001. The natural blooming date of this crop was September 20-27 (week 39). The average height of the plants was 23 cms. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces large sized white blooms with a cream center flowering for a period of 4 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Bobwhite’ is ‘Jason’. (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,609) When ‘Jason’ and ‘Bobwhite’ are being compared the following similarities and differences are noticed: Both varieties have large sized white blooms. The differences of ‘Jason’ and ‘Bobwhite’ are (1) Plant vigor. The plants of ‘Jason’ are more vigorous than those of ‘Bobwhite’. (2) Bloom type. The bloom of ‘Jason’ are daisy type, while those of ‘Bobwhite’ are decorative.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Bobwhite’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant ‘BOBWHITE’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.4 cm, height 0.5 cm Outside Color Yellow-green 145D-147D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts among disc-florets Not present Involucral bracts color Green 137B Bloom Type Decorative Height 1.5 cm Size Large Fully Expanded 6-6.5 cm Peduncle length 3.5-5 cm Peduncle color Green 137B-143A Number of blooms per branch Approx. 5-6 blooms per branch Performance on the plant 4 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Yellow 2D Mature Yellow 2D Color of upper surface of the ray- Yellow-white 158D florets Color of the lower surface of the Yellow-white 158D ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with white flowers and a cream disc Discoloration to color Yellow-white 158D Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 160-170 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majority Straight Length of corolla tube 0.4 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2.1 cm Ray-floret width 0.5 cm Ratio length/width High Shape of tip Dentate Disc florets Absent Receptacle shape Conical raised Reproductive Organs Stamen Absent Styles Thin Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 3 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type potmum, outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Compact and spherical shape Growth rate Low Height 23 cm Width 33 cm Stem Color Grey-brown 199C Stem Strength Weak Stem Brittleness Not brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Absent Internode length 1-2 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 13 cm Lateral branch color Green 137C-141C Lateral branch, attachment Medium strength Branching (average number of Good with 7-8 breaks after lateral branches) pinching Natural season blooming date September 20-27 Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 137B-137C Lower side Green 137C-138B Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 147D Lower side Yellow-green 148D Size Small; length 3.5-4.5 cm, width 2-3 cm Quantity (number per lateral 25-28 branch) Shape Ovate/obovate Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Between Rounded Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Lateral Diverging Lobes Shape of Base Acute Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.3-0.5 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘Bobwhite’ ‘Jason’ Bloom size 6-6.5 cm 6-7 cm Bloom type decorative Daisy Color upper side ray-florets Yellow-white 158D White 155D Growth rate low high 

1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 